Sketching device



y 8, 1968 R. E. PHILLIPS 3,384,964

SKETCHING DEVICE Filed June 6. 1966 INVENTOR ROBERT E. pH/LL 1P5 EOWAED D. OER/AN ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 m 3,384,964 SKETCHING DEVICE Robert E. Phillips, PA). Box 1102, Studio City, Calif. 91604 Filed June 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,598 9 Claims. (Cl. 33-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sketching device is disclosed which has a flat sheet of material, the top surface of which is formed to contain a plurality of grooves having rounded junctures with the top surface. A sheet of paper may be placed against this top surface and a marking instrument placed against the paper so as to depress the paper toward one of the grooves. In this location the marking instrument is guided by the groove as it is drawn along the paper.

This invention is directed to a sketching device, and particularly to a device useful for the guidance of sketching instrumentalities both by visual and mechanical guidance means.

The sketching of drawings is widely used as a means for conveying information, and particularly for conveying the kinds of information which are more easily and clearly represented by visual representation of the actual or the schematic embodiment, as compared to the use of words. Many sketching aids have been developed, but most fall into the category of usefulness with a drawing board or the like. Most sketching aids include an embodiment of a movable straight edge which can be moved to a position which is always parallel to its former position. These devices are very useful and are widely used in the engineering profession. However, they are always used in conjunction with drawing boards and are useful in those occasions where a greater amount of drawing work is to be done. However, no work has been done to aid the person who desires to sketch away from his drawing board for making early visual embodiments of his concept. A great deal of sketching work is done, usually on smaller pieces of paper, while different thoughts are put on paper preliminary to the engineering of the final design. Thus, there is great need for a device which can aid in the sketching of parallel lines, isometric lines, right angle lines and perspective lines. Such is quite useful for the making of a clean, quick sketch which may be used as it is, or may be employed to impart ideas to an engineer who will use the sketch as reference for a further drawing.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a sketching device which may be readily and conveniently used to aid in the guidance of a sketching instrument upon sketching paper.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sketching device which comprises a relatively thin layer of material which has a plurality of lines embossed therein so as to permit the lines to guide a sketching instrument over a sheet of paper interposed therebetween.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a plurality of embossed lines in a layer of material, which lines are arranged in such directions as to be suitable for use in sketching.

It is another object of this invention to provide visual, printed lines on the sketching device of this invention so as to permit visual aid in the guidance of the sketching device together with measuring ability so that sketched lines may be placed measured, spaced distances apart.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion 3,384,964 Patented May 28, 1968 of this specification, the claims and the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a third embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a fourth, and preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial isometric view, enlarged as compared to FIG. 4 of a portion of the surface of the sketching device of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse section through the sketching device of this invention.

As an aid to understanding this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a sketching device. The sketching device preferably comprises a relatively thin sheet of material. The material has a top surface and lines are embossed as grooves into this top surface. Such lines may be formed by any convenient means, and such lines are arranged in suitable patterns for use as a drafting aid. In use, relatively thin paper is placed over the sketching device, and the sketching instrument is used. The embossed grooves which form the lines in the sketching device guide the drafting device along the line. Thus, straight lines are usually produced when straight lines are provided in the sketching device. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of straight lines, parallel to each other and equispaced are provided. Similar lines are provided at right angles to the first lines. Thus, any rectangular sketch can be easily made by following the embossed lines in the sketching device with the drafting instrument. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, certain of the embossing lines are also marked with visual indications so that measurements can be readily made directly as the sketch proceeds. Thus, lines may be spaced one inch apart, for example. By this means accurate, scale sketches can be readily and quickly made with the aid of the sketching device of this invention. In other embodiments, the grooves on the sketching device may be arranged in different angular manner. For example, in addition to the lines at right angles, a single set of ray-like lines can be directed toward a single vanishing point so as to make simplified perspective drawings. For regular perspectives, two sets of ray-like lines directed to two different vanishing points can be provided, in conjunction with parallel upright lines. Furthermore, the sketching device of this invention can be provided with lines at isometric angles so that isometric sketches can be easily created.

This invention will be understood in greater detail by reference to the following portion of this specification wherein the drawings are described in detail. Referring to the drawings, the first embodiment of the sketching device of this invention is indicated in FIG. 1 and is generally identified by the reference numeral 10. Similarly, the second embodiment of the sketching device is indicated at 12. Furthermore, the third embodiment of this sketching device is generally indicated at 14. The preferred device is indicated in FIG. 4 at 16. Each of these sketching devices 10 through 16 is identical except for the direction the lines, or grooves, extend on the surface thereof. The material is the same, dimensions of the grooves are the same and the use is the same, except for the different character of the drawings for which each is individually used.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the sketching device 16 will be described in greater detail. The sketching device 16 comprises a relatively thin sheet of material 18. While a number of materials are suitable for use in the sketching device of this invention, transparent polymer composition material is preferred as the sheet material 18, Furthermore, a thermoplastic polymer composition material is preferred to aid in the manufacturing of the sketching device. However, other materials, such as paper materials or metal, can be used if desired. A plurality of grooves are formed in the material 18. Grooves and 22 extend parallel to each other and spaced from each other in a direction generally upright of the sheet as seen in FIG. 4. Similarly, groove 24 is one of a plurality of grooves extending crosswise of the sheet of material 18, at right angles to grooves 20 and 22. The series of parallel grooves of which grooves 20 and 22 are a part are preferably equally spaced and parallel to each other, and are preferably spaced upon conventional spacing. Thus, there may be spaced upon conventional spacing. Thus, there may be between twenty and fifty or more of such grooves per inch so that parallel lines may be drawn in a known spaced manner.

The large number of grooves is critical in the sketching device of this invention. The user of the sketching device desires that a groove be positioned substantially where he wants the line. Thus, these grooves should be positioned nearly everywhere. Preferably, there are approximately forty of such grooves per inch, for such is conveniently close for sketching a line nearly anywhere and yet they are sufiiciently separated to maintain individual groove integrity. Preferably, an identical spacing is used for the transverse grooves, of which groove 24 is an example.

Referring now in more particularity to FIG. 6, the sheet of material is shown as having the grooves 20, 22 and 24- therein. These grooves may be conveniently made by hot stamping. A suitable die is produced for any particular arrangement of grooves and is impressed upon the material 18 at suitable temperature and pressure to form the grooves. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the material 18 is approximately .010" thick while the grooves 20, 22 and 24 are impressed approximately .006" into the material. As shown in FIG. 6, the grooves are approximately .006" wide, in their upper portion. However, it is critical that they be sufficiently narrow so that the drafting instrument bears upon the rounded shoulders joining the groove walls and the top surface 30. Thus, the groove can be from .006" to .010" wide at the upper portion where the rounded shoulder portion starts. Furthermore, the rounded shoulders 25 are critical. They must be rounded so as to provide a smooth juncture between the groove side walls and the top surface 30. It is also critical, as is shown, that the groove be of such width and depth relationship so that the drafting instrument does not force the paper into the bottom of the groove. This provides guidance on the two shoulders, rather than in the bottom of the groove, and permits a place for a certain amount of dirt to accumulate before guidance is interfered with.

As is best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 rounded shoulders 25 at the tangent between the shoulders and the drafting instrument continue and join in rounded dome 29. It is critical that the groove to top juncture be well rounded at the tangent with the drawing instrument to prevent cut ting of the paper. This rounding is preferably carried all the way to dome 29. In this case when a drawing instrument is used, it engages with the curvature created by the dome and is immediately carried to a guide groove.

Furthermore, in order to aid in sketching, certain of the grooves, preferably on whole number or large fractions of the dimensional distances, lines are darkened so as to be visually observable through the paper. For example, lines every one inch or half inch may be darkened for this vision. Darkened lines are indicated at 22, 26 and 28 in FIG. 4. This darkening can be produced by the deposition of printing ink in the bottoms of the grooves when the sketching device 16 is produced. Production can be accomplished by an etched plate, similar to those used in print practices. The etched plate may have the ridges which emboss lines 26 and 28 raised to higher elevations so that they take printing ink, especially compounded to operate at the temperatures involved and preferably to combine the material of sheet 18. Thus, the grooves in material 18 can be produced from an etched plate by ordinary hot stamping procedures.

Another way certain grooves can be made visually apparent and the way illustrated in 'FIG. 6, is the production of a raised rib 31. The rib 31 must be aligned with groove 22 and must be coated with ink 33. The rib 31 can be made during the same hot pressing operation with aligned dies. It can be inked by passing an inked roller thereover.

In use, paper 32 is laid over the top surface 30, the side with the grooves in it, of the sketching device 16 and a drawing instrument 34 is brought into position. When the draftsman desires a line, he locates the position of the line, places his drawing instrument 34 upon the paper at the line so that the instrument depresses paper 32 into the groove. In the illustration, the drawing instrument 34 is a ball point pen and the ball on the end thereof is depressing the paper into groove 20. This depression is sufiicient to guide the pen along the length of groove 20 so as to produce a straight line. Should the draftsman want a close parallel line to the first one, he places the drawing instrument 34 over groove 22 and makes another stroke to produce two closely spaced parallel lines. Other grooves can be used to make further parallel or further right angles lines until the sketch is complete.

Sketching devices 10, 12 and 14 are identical to sketching device 16, except for the arrangement of the grooves in the top surface thereof, so that the sketching devices 16, 12 and 14 are specifically arranged to make different sketches than the rectangular sketches which are readily produced by use of Sketching device 16. For example, sketching device 10 has upright grooves 36, transverse grooves 33, arranged at right angles to upright grooves 36 and angular grooves 40. Angular grooves 40 are all directed toward a common disappearing point to the right of the upper edge of the sketching device 10. By this arrangement of grooves, partial perspectives can be drawn. For example, in drawing a cube, the square face closest to the sketcher would be shown as square. Three of the cube edges would extend toward the disappearing point and the rear top edge and rear right edge would also be shown. This simplified perspective is often used for quick and convenient three dimensional presentations.

The sketching device 12 is also useful in the sketching of perspectives. The sketching device 12 has upright grooves 42 which are arranged parallel to each other, angular grooves 44 which are all directed to a common disappearing point beyond the upper right corner of sketching device 12, and angular grooves 46 which are all directed toward a common disappearing point to the left of the upper edge of the sketching device 12. Thus, when drawing a cube, the upright lines are drawn by guidance by grooves 42, the left and right horizontal corners are drawn by guidance by grooves 44 and the front and back horizontal edges are drawn by guidance of the drawing instrument by grooves 46. This creates the true perspective.

Referring to FIG. 3, the sketching device 14 is arranged for sketching isometric views of an object. The sketching device 14 similarly has upright grooves 48, arranged parallel to each other, angular grooves arranged parallel to each other and at an angle to the grooves 48, and angular grooves 52 arranged parallel to each other and angularly to grooves 48 and 50. The angular grooves 50 and 52 are arranged at the isometric angle, 35 degrees 16 minutes, with respect to the upright groove 48. This arrangement provides for an accurate representation of the illustrative cube, for the upright and angular top and bottom edges of the cube are all of equal dimension. Thus, the isometric view can be sealed for true dimensions while the perspective representations drawn with the use of the sketching devices 10 and 12, while more true to appearance, and not scalable in the depth direction.

The sketching devices 10, 12, 14 and 16 are readily employable with a pa d and are easily portable so that they may be readily used in situations where drawing boards are not available or conveniently carried, and yet accurate line sketches are easily made to produce accurate representation.

This invention having been disclosed in its preferred embodiment, and several other embodiments disclosed, J

it is clear that this invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and embodiments within the scope of the invention and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sketching device, said sketching device comprising a substantially fiat sheet of transparent polymer composition material having a top surface, a large plurality of grooves spaced closely to each other formed into said top surface, said grooves having rounded junctures with said top surfaces, said grooves being of such dimension so that when a sheet of paper is placed over said upper surface of said sheet of material, and a marking instrument is urged against the sheet of paper the paper is depressed into one of the grooves and the marking instrument is guided by the rounded junctures of that one of the grooves so that the drafting instrument leaves a line upon the paper corresponding to the groove in said top surface of said sheet of material, said sheet of material also having a bottom surface opposite said top surface, said bottom surface having at least one raised rib thereon, said raised rib being aligned with one of said grooves, said raised rib carrying a visual indication thereon of a position of one of said grooves.

2. The sketching device of claim 1 wherein said grooves are more narrow than the marking point of the marking instrument so that the marking instrument is guided by the junctures of said grooves and said top surface.

3. The sketching device of claim 1 wherein at least some of said grooves are parallel to each other.

4. The sketching device of claim 3 wherein at least some of said grooves are angularly related to other of said grooves.

5. The sketching device of claim 4 wherein the grooves are related at right angles.

6. The sketching device of claim 4 wherein said grooves are related at other than at right angles.

7. The sketching device of claim 1 wherein said sheet of material is transparent polymer composition material and wherein said sketching device has a bottom surface opposite said top surface and said bottom surface has at least one raised rib thereon, said raised rib being aligned with one of said grooves said raised rib carrying a visual indication thereon of a position of said one of said grooves.

8. The sketching device of claim 1 wherein said polymer composition material is flexible.

9. The sketching device of claim 7 wherein said sketching device has a bottom surface opposite said top surface and said bottom surface has at least one raised rib thereon, said raised rib being aligned with one of said grooves, said raised rib carrying visual indication thereon of the position of said grooves.

Product Engineering, Perspective Grids, pp. 40-42, .ian. 11, 1960.

HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,384 964 May 28 1968 Robert E. Phillips It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, lines 15 and 16, cancel "Thus, there may be spaced upon conventional spacing.".

Signed and sealed this 21st day of October 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. E. SCHUYLER,

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

